History of the Washington National Monument and of the Washington National Monument Society Part 12

GROVER CLEVELAND.

_Chiefs of Corps of Engineers, U. S. A._

Brig.-Gen. A. A. HUMPHREYS. Brig.-Gen. HORATIO WRIGHT.

Brig.-Gen. JOHN NEWTON. Brig.-Gen. THOS. L. CASEY (1888).

_Architect of the Capitol._

EDWARD CLARK.

_Architects of the Treasury._

JAS. G. HILL. JOHN FRASER, Acting. M. E. BELL.

_First Vice-President of Washington National Monument Society._

W. W. CORCORAN.

_Secretary._

F. L. HARVEY.

_Engineers in Charge Under Joint Commission._

Col. THOS. LINCOLN CASEY, Col. JOHN M. WILSON (1888), Corps of Engineers.

_a.s.sistants._

Capt. GEO. W. DAVIS, BERNARD R. GREEN, 14th Inft., U. S. A. Civil Engineer.

_Master Mechanic_--P. H. MCLAUGHLIN.

_Chief Clerk_--JAMES B. DUTTON.

_Draftsman_--GUSTAV FRIEBUS.

INSCRIPTIONS ON THE FOUR FACES OF THE ALUMINUM POINT CROWNING APEX OF MONUMENT.

(NORTH FACE.)

JOINT COMMISSION AT SETTING OF CAP-STONE.

CHESTER A. ARTHUR.

W. W. CORCORAN, _Chairman_.

M. E. BELL.

EDWARD CLARK.

JOHN NEWTON.

_Act of August 2nd, 1876._

(WEST FACE.)

CORNER-STONE LAID ON BED OF FOUNDATION JULY 4, 1848.

FIRST STONE AT HEIGHT OF 152 FEET LAID AUGUST 7, 1880.

CAP-STONE SET DECEMBER 6, 1884.

(SOUTH FACE.)

CHIEF ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT, THOS. LINCOLN CASEY, COLONEL CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

_a.s.sistants:_ GEORGE W. DAVIS, CAPTAIN 14TH INFANTRY.

BERNARD R. GREEN, CIVIL ENGINEER.

_Master Mechanic._ P. H. MCLAUGHLIN.

(EAST FACE.)

LAUS DEO.

ENGINEER OFFICE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, CORNER SEVENTEENTH AND F STREETS, WASHINGTON, D. C., _April 19, 1880_.

Hon. ROBERT C. WINTHROP, _Chairman of Committee of Washington Monument society_.

DEAR SIR: Agreeably to your request that a succinct account of the project for the completion and the condition of the work upon the Washington National Monument should be given your committee, I have the honor, with the sanction of the Joint Commission for the completion of the Monument, to report as follows.

ADMINISTRATION.

Under the authority of the act of Congress of August 2, 1876, and joint resolutions of June 14, 1878, and June 27, 1879, the Monument is being constructed under the direction and supervision of a Joint Commission, consisting of the President of the United States, the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department, the Architect of the Capitol, the Chief of Engineers of the United States Army, and the First Vice-President of the Washington National Monument Society.

PROJECT.

The project or design of the work is an obelisk 550 feet in height, faced with white marble mid hacked with dressed granite rock. Of this structure 156 feet is already finished.

The base of the Monument is 55 feet square, the top will be 34 feet 6 inches square, and it will be crowned with a pyramidion, or roof, 50 feet in height.

The proportions of the parts of this obelisk are in exact accordance with the cla.s.sic proportions of parts of this style of architecture, as determined after careful research by the Hon. George P. Marsh, American Minister at Rome.

The shaft, as proportioned, both in dimensions and weight, will be entirely stable as against winds that could exert a pressure of one hundred pounds or more per square foot upon any face of the structure.

The project includes the preparation of the foundation so as to enable it to carry this structure. This preparation, or strengthening, consists in making the existing foundation wider and deeper, in order to distribute the weight over a greater area, and in bringing upon each square foot of the earth pressed no greater weight then it is known to be able to sustain.